Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1887-03-17
STOCK IN THE COTEAUX.
The Advantages and Adaptab1lity
of Dakota as o Stock
Region.

The following from stock man of ex-
perience and capital shows that the
hitherto unoccupied coteaux west of the
James River, will sooner or later become
the great rendezvous for the smaller stock
raisers of Dakota, and eventually many
from Montana. 1t is undoubtedly the
only stock growing and stock wintering
section of the northwest not yet taken
up. Vast herds, hard to handle and re-
q1liring immense capital, have so crowded
the ranges of Montana that money has
been lost there for several years,
and this year about twenty-five per
cent of the herds themselves. The
coteaux of western Dakota can pasture
thousands of bands of cattle, horses and
sheep, and the small investor need have
no fear of losing range from the en-
croachments of some powerful syndicate.
Besides the abundance of feed and shell
ter, railroad facilities, and access to mar
kets, there are hundreds of fresh lakes
and springs dotting these grassy valleys,
the home, in the season, of myriads of
wild fowl, and an unfailing water supply
for stock the year around. Concerning
his stock and these coteaux, The ALERT
correspondent says:
It may be of interest to some of your
readers to learn that the hill country or
coteaux, reaching from the Missouri
nearly 100 miles eastward in Northern
Dakota, is proving increasingly valuable
as stock country. Not only for sum-
mer but for winter grazing it is superior
to any locality known to the writer for
the breeding and rearing of horses. The
grasses are as varied and far more abund-
ant than in the more western territories,
and cure equally we'll for winter pastures.
Owing to the slight rainfall during the
autumn months, hay is plentiful and can
be cut and cured for the taking, and set
tlement will not interfere with the live
stock industry for years, owing to the
rough and broken character of the coun-
try rendering it unavailable for farming,
except in few locations.
In proof of the statement of the value
of these hills for winter grazing, would
state that [ have large band OF horses
from Montana last fall, and that they
have wintered on the range a few miles
west from Jamestown, as we'll, If not bet
ter than they would have done in Montana
They have been entirely without
feed or shelter other than that provided
by nature, and this during the most So
we're winter known for years. And more
over at the present writing. they are in
excellent condition. Cattle must be
sheltered and fed, but as already men
toned hay is easily obtained. This local
ity is especially adapted to small herds,
and I venture the assertion that more
money can be made with a few hundred
head of stock here, than from the same
number of thousands farther west.
Nearness to market, bettermeans at hand
to give suitable care, with far greater
rate of increase resulting therefrom, and
nowhere can better class of live stock
of all kinds be more proftably raised
than on free range where feed and
shelter if needed, can be obtained as they
can be in the coteaux Of North Dakota.
Respectfully Yours,
7. s. WADswoRTH.